Coalition Donor Profile: Heidi Eisenhour

This month, we are pleased to introduce a longtime supporter and champion of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, Heidi Eisenhour. For Heidi, like many of our donors, staying committed to the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition (WWRC) is a no-brainer.

“The WWRP is just an entirely positive program,” says Eisenhour. “It is incredibly effective, has bipartisan appeal, and made such a broad range of projects possible.”

Heidi grew up in Irondale, near Port Hadlock in Jefferson County, and spent much of her childhood playing on the beach near the mouth of Chimacum Creek. But before restoration in 2001, using funds from the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP), the beach she grew up on was a very different sight.

“It was a log dump and chipping operation. We would climb all over the logs and chip piles. It was a very industrial site. If you went there now you would be absolutely blown away. With funding from the WWRP and Jefferson County, they restored the beach and removed the fill. It was a dramatic transformation, like night and day. It’s a gorgeous beach now."

Impacts like the Chimacum Beach restoration have led Heidi into a lifelong career working to protect and preserve our beautiful natural heritage in Washington. She has worked as an environmental specialist for the Washington Department of Natural Resources, government relations associate with the Nature Conservancy, Outreach Director for the Cascades Conservation Partnership, Development Coordinator for the Northwest Maritime Center and Pacific Marine Conservation Council in Port Townsend, and Executive Director for the Jefferson Land Trust.

Today, Heidi coordinates 26 land trusts across the state with the Washington Association of Land Trusts.

When it comes to the WWRP, Heidi’s roots run deep. Sixteen years ago, when she began working with the Nature Conservancy government relations team, her first project was to build grassroots and legislative support for the WWRP.

Her solid commitment to the Coalition led Heidi to become a monthly donor this year.

“By giving monthly, I can consistently support the Coalition’s work in a way that doesn’t hurt my budget,” Heidi explains. “It’s definitely something I’m committed to. It’s such an easy way to give, other people should do it too!”

Heidi Eisenhour, a longtime supporter of the Coalition, reflects on how WWRP grants in her community (such as Chimacum Beach, above) pushed her to become a champion for Washington's natural heritage.

"If you went there now you would be absolutely blown away. With funding from the WWRP... it was a dramatic transformation, like night and day. It’s a gorgeous beach now."

-Heidi Eisenhour, Coalition Donor

Finnriver Farm was one of the many areas protected with WWRP grant money that Heidi helped secure during her tenure as executive director of Jefferson Land Trust.